A common packing strategy is to count the number of days in their trip, and pack socks and underwear and T-shirts for each day. It’s a reasonable enough strategy, unless you are committed to the minimalist travel lifestyle. For most minimalist travelers, 2 or 3 pair of underwear (and that includes the pair you are wearing on your journey) will suffice. 

I’ve tried several styles and brands.  While ExOfficio briefs are the most common recommendation for one-bag guys (and they are actually quite comfortable and light and quick-drying), I recently stumbled upon the Airism boxer briefs from Uniqlo. In a word, awesome.  In a series of words with periods: These. Are. The. Best. Travel. Underwear. Ever.

Likewise, 2 or 3 T-shirts (ideally, items which can double as undershirts or workout/hiking shirts, like these decent looking ExOfficio quick-dry technical tshirts), 2 pair of technical or merino wool sport socks, and 2 pair of quick-drying dress socks, and that’s it.

You will find this is sufficient clothing to get you through many days of travel (I did this for one month across Australia earlier this year), because you are packing easily washable and quick drying clothing. In most cases, this means you will pack underwear and socks and T-shirts made of technical fibers or silk or merino wool.

Shoes take up an inordinate amount of luggage space, and serious one-bag fanatics will wear one pair and pack another. If at all possible, wear the bulkier pair and pack a light pair of versatile and waterproof athletic type shoe. For several years now, my choice has been the Keen H2  - they pack as light as a pancake, function well in or out of the water, and dry quickly.  Paired with light athletic socks, they work for the gym, including cardio equipment. With heavier short hiking socks, I’ve comfortably hiked miles in these shoes. With dark casual socks, you can get away with pairing them with longer pants for a casual night out. They don’t work for formal occasions, obviously, and are not intended for jogging. And if you are a hiker who needs strong ankle support, these will not be your choice. 

Jeans are really comfortable and, for most of us, a wardrobe staple when we’re not traveling. But they are bulky, heavy, and don’t dry quickly in most climates. Denim alternatives include technical fiber – but remarkably good-looking – alternatives like these Bluff Works trousers.  Rohan offers these fairly typical looking jeans which have an interesting twist – they’re made of a fabric which combines cotton with lighter and quicker drying technical fiber.

Combine one of these trousers with a no-iron oxford shirt (this Brooks Brothers shirt can go for 3 or even 4 days without ironing) and a tie, or with a good-looking but travel friendly microfiber jacket, and you’re presentable and wrinkle free for most work or professional situations. If you decide, however, to travel with jeans you might consider wearing them rather than packing, and choosing jeans which can be paired with a decent shirt and jacket for casual business wear. I’ve done this myself, traveling in these dark colored Banana Republic jeans, switching to something else upon arrival, and then wearing the jeans two to three days in a row with a casual tie and jacket.

Wearing an undershirt goes a long way towards extending the multi-day usefulness of a collared dress shirt. Avoiding white or other light-colored dress shirts gives you the option to choose darker colored undershirts. The value of this is that a dark colored technical fiber V-neck undershirt (like this one from Uniqlo, or a similar ExOfficio shirt) can double for gym wear or for outdoor activity. Just pair them with flash dry shorts, merino or technical fiber athletic socks and your alternate pair of shoes. By pressing the undershirt into extra service, you can get away with packing fewer T-shirts.

What's your favorite travel gear?  Share your tips here, and read more of mine in my "Guy's Guide to 1-Bag Packing: Minimalist Travel Secrets That Save You Time and Money", just published through Amazon Kindle!